We forget that the early years of the "streak" were enabled in part by a Vicodin addiction.
"Greg C." wrote:
I've never heard anyone say this. The way I understand it, the Vicodin addiction was a byproduct of injuries that required pain relief medication, but I wouldn't think that the Vicodin addiction "enabled" the consecutive game streak in any way.
Another point in this thread that I don't agree with is that Favre had an advantage over Rodgers because he played in a dome. I don't think it was a significant advantage. I don't remember any Packer home games played in bad weather last year.
"Wade" wrote:
I'm not making a moral judgment.
But the reason people take Vicodin is for pain. Severe pain. To lessen the pain.
There is no doubt that Favre has one of the highest pain thresholds out there. That he is able to play through pain that would bench any other quarterback. But he still has some pain threshold that he won't be able to handle. Everyone does. If he's taking Vicodin at time X, its because without it he's got concern that the pain is at/near a level he considers "too high" to perform at.
If he's taking too many Vicodin, there's a pain issue there.
The fact that he played with the help of Vicodin doesn't make him any less of "the NFL ironman to define NFL ironmen". But if he's not taking the hgh powered pain medication, he would have been more likely to pass whatever that "pain-threshold-beyond-which-even-Favre-couldn't-have-played".
But again, my main point is not that Favre wouldn't have had the streak. My main point is that we should not assume that Rodgers is an out-of-this-world ironman. It's better to assume that, when it comes to being able to play with injury, Rodgers is closer to the "average NFL quarterback" than he is to "the greatest ironman in NFL history".
My point is that if he gets hit too much, he's likely going to go down to injury sooner than Favre. And if he goes down unnecessarily (e.g., because he plays too many plays behind a sub-standard OL), the Packers will be losing what may be the best QB in the league.
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Romans 12:2 (NKJV)